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Port Louis
Aerial view of Port Louis and harbour.
Flag Official seal of Port Louis Seal
Nickname(s): Louis (hanglow)
Coordinates: 20°10′S 57°30′E / 20.167°S 57.5°E / -20.167; 57.5
Country	Mauritius
Founded	1735
City status	August 25, 1966
Government
• President of Mauritius	Sir Anerood Jugnauth
• Lord Mayor	Dr. Mahmad Aniff Kodabaccus
Area
• City	42.7 km2 (16.5 sq mi)
• Urban	6.3 km2 (2.4 sq mi)
Population (2010 est.)[1]
• City	128,483
• Density	3,008.9/km2 (7,793/sq mi)
• Urban	148,416
	31 Dec. 2010
Time zone	MUT (UTC+4)
Website	mpl.intnet.mu/home.htm

Port Louis (French pronunciation: [pɔʁlwi]) is the capital of Mauritius. It is the largest city of the country and main port, which borders the Indian Ocean. It is located in the Port Louis District. The population of the administrative district was estimated at 128,483, and the urban area at 148,416 in December 2010^[update].

History[link]

The Port Louis theatre from 1900 to 1910

The Port Louis theatre in early 1950s

Port Louis was already in use as a harbor in 1638. In 1735, under French government, it became the administrative center of Mauritius and a major reprovisioning halt for French ships travelling around the Cape of Good Hope. The Port is named in honour of King Louis XV. The first Governor was Count Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais.

Demographics[link]

The population of the city is now largely made up of the descendants of laborers who were hired for labour from India in the 19th century. Slaves were previously introduced by the British and French who colonized the island in the 18th century. After the abolition of slavery in 1835, many Indian and Chinese workers were brought to work the land, and cultivate sugar cane, at that time used to produce rum. The Immigration Depot in Port Louis is a World Heritage Site commemorating this great migration.

Currently, the majority of the population, more than 75 percent, are Indians of mixed origins (a significant percentage being followers of the Hindu and Muslim faith), with the rest from Africa and a minority of Chinese and Eurasian.

Climate[link]

Port Louis features a tropical wet and dry climate with a lengthy wet season and a short dry season. Its wettest months are from December through April where on average 100mm (or more) of rain falls during each of these month. The months of September through November forms the dry season, though technically July, with an average of just under 60 mm of precipitation, could be considered a dry season month. The city also shows a noticeable range of average temperatures. Port Louis’ coolest temperatures are seen mid-year where average high temperatures are around 24°C. During the height of the wet season, the city sees its highest temperatures where average high temperatures are usually around 30°C.

Economy[link]

The economy is dominated by its port, which handles Mauritius' international trade. The port was founded by the French who preferred Port Louis as the City is shielded by the Port Louis/Moka mountain range. It is the largest container handling facility in the Indian Ocean and can accommodate fourth and fifth generation container vessels. At present, only Cape Town and Port Louis can achieve that in Sub-Saharan Africa.^[3] However, existing equipments in the port are overstretched and delays frequently occur. Two new gantry cranes (to be delivered in December 2007) will boost annual throughput capacity. Manufacturing is dominated by clothing and textiles, but also includes chemicals, plastics, and pharmaceuticals. Tourism is also important. The development of the Caudan Waterfront, central to Port Louis, with shopping and cinema facilities, appeals to tourists visiting the city. The 5 star Labourdonnais hotel located in the Caudan Waterfront is a popular choice for tourists and business people seeking luxury in a central location. Port Louis is the second most important financial center in Africa after Johannesburg. It is the city with the highest per capita income in Africa.^{[citation needed]}

Transportation[link]

Between 1860s and 1960s, the island had a railway system centred on Port Louis. In 2009, due to growing road traffic congestion, consideration is being given to introducing a metro system.^{[citation needed]}

Air[link]

Air transportation to the city is provided by SSR International Airport. Air Mauritius, the national airline of Mauritius, has its head office in the Air Mauritius Centre in the city.^[4]

Buses[link]

Port Louis is served by two major bus stations. Victoria Station is used by buses to and from the eastern and southern areas, and from the urbanized Plaines Wilhems district. Immigration Square, also known as Gare du Nord, is a terminus for buses coming from the Northern districts of Pamplemousses and Rivière du Rempart.

Additionally, buses can use other bus stops as points of termination, e.g. John Kennedy Street and Sir William Newton Street for "City Centre" buses. A number of inter-city buses carry passengers to and from nearby suburbs such as Plaine Verte, Vallée-des-Prêtres and Cassis, making Port Louis the Mauritian hub for bus transport.

This is not without problems. All major bus lines from the rest of Mauritius converge towards Port Louis, which creates traffic congestion issues when combined with the number of private cars doing the same. Both stations, Victoria and Immigration, are small and often saturated both in terms of passenger frequentation and number of buses arriving and departing. In addition, the presence of hawkers nearby and the absence of designated walking areas for passengers creates safety issues.

Attractions and sights[link]

View of Port Louis and harbour looking west from the Citadel

View of Port Louis from Le Pouce

Port Louis has conserved many historic and colonial buildings through the years. One of them is a fortification named Fort Adelaide or La Citadelle, built by the British in 1835. The latter dominates the city. From there, one can observe most of the city's architecture. Port Louis is surrounded by a mountain range, called the Moka Range. Among its most famous mountains are Le Pouce and Pieter Both which stand about 800 metres from sea level. The country's national derby called Champ de Mars, which is the oldest race course (1812) in the Indian Ocean and the second oldest in the southern Hemisphere. Attractions include the Caudan Waterfront, Port Louis Market, the Mauritian Chinatown, the old Port Louis Theatre. Other famous destinations include the Police Barracks known as Les Casernes and The Rajiv Gandhi Science Centre. The capital has also three museums which are: the Mauritius Natural History Museum, the Blue Penny Museum and the Mauritius Postal Museum. The biggest and oldest post office in Mauritius is found near the Caudan Waterfront. Situated in the heart of the city, near the State Bank Tower, the Place d'Armes is easily recognizable by its tall palm trees. It is the main entrance to and out of Port Louis.

Port Louis is the busiest city in Mauritius. It faces heavy traffic congestion as there is only one motorway which leads in and out of the city. The busiest hours are 8am and 5pm, which roughly correspond to the working hours for the majority of enterprises. Parking is another big problem the city faces. The financial centre is also located there, with the Bank of Mauritius, the Mauritius Commercial Bank Ltd and the State Bank of Mauritius, all having their headquarters there. The busiest street is Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Street, formerly known as Rue Desforges. It leads directly to the Municipality of Port Louis, the Jummah Mosque, and Kadafi Square, which is a hot place for local food. Ornately and colourfully decorated Tamil temples such as the Kaliammen Kovil and the Tamil temple of Saint-Croix overlook the port. There is a Chinese burial ground where elaborate memorials have been erected. The city morgue at the Kit Lock is located in the centre of the city.

The Mauritius Institute, dedicated to the study of the island's flora and fauna, is in Port Louis. Nearby, in the Jardin de la Compagnie, one can stroll along navigators' and geographers' texts in Travellers' Lane, which also encapsulates an artist's rendering of the planisphere of al-Idrissi. Citizens often climb up the Signaux mountain, which is a 3-km track, that leads to over 300 metres high. From there, one can appreciate the landscape of the city.

The skyline of Port Louis has completely changed in the last fifteen years mainly due to construction booms in the 1990s and 2000s, where many of the tallest high-rise buildings have been built. The city centre has the tallest buildings in Mauritius, including a few skyscrapers, which is unusual for a small island in Africa. Port Louis is currently undergoing a major construction boom with the extension of the Caudan Waterfront.

Horse racing[link]

The Champ de Mars Racecourse is a race track for Thoroughbred horse races located close to the centre of Port Louis founded in 1812.

Gallery[link]

Panorama image[link]

A panoramic view of Port Louis showing the Champ de Mars Racecourse (left) and the city centre (right).

A panoramic view of Port Louis showing the Champ de Mars Racecourse (left) and the city centre (right).

Culture[link]

Notable residents[link]

Port Louis has attracted various artists and writers in the past, among the most renowned of them are Bernardin de Saint Pierre, Mark Twain, Nicholas Pike, Charles Baudelaire, and Paul-Jean Toulet. Mauritian writers like Malcolm de Chazal, Marcel Cabon, Moose Allain, Félix Laventure, Loys Masson and Marie-Thérèse Humbert chose Port Louis and its vicinities as locations for some of their novels and poetry. Other Port Louis born poets and writers, like Robert Edward Hart and Khal Torabully, also made of this intricate and fascinating town the setting of some of their texts.

Sister cities[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

• Ahmedabad, India
• Saint-Malo, France since 1999
• Quebec, Canada

See also[link]

• Railway stations in Mauritius (The railways system was designed mainly for the transportation of goods, mainly sugar, from different part of the country to the city.)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Port Louis

• Port Louis Travel Guide
• Municipal website
• MSN Map

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Coordinates: 20°10′S 57°30′E / 20.167°S 57.5°E / -20.167; 57.5